Games and puzzles proven fastest growing category, says Euromonitor

Games and puzzles have proven to be one of the fastest growing toy categories on a global basis, according to Euromonitor.

The market research firm revealed that the category registered an eight per cent in growth during 2016, outpacing construction toys.

It has also recorded the highest growth for the category since 2002.

Construction toys experienced a 1.6 per cent decline in North America last year – the first negative growth for the category in the region over the past five years.

“Games and puzzles continued to gain popularity among adults, especially in North America,” said Matthew Hudak, toys and games analyst at Euromonitor International.

“This surge in popularity made games and puzzles the fastest growing category overall in 2016.”

Globally, construction toys spiked by 7.8 per cent in 2016 compared to double-digit growth from 2015, but continued to hold the largest share of the traditional toys and games market at $10 billion, followed by games and puzzles at $9.5 billion.

Hudak added: “Continued growth in sales to adults illustrates that children are retaining interest in toys into adulthood on a scale not seen in previous generations.

“Categories with proven multi-generational appeal like construction, remote control, and action figures are therefore expected to see the fastest growth over the next five years.”

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